LISA ARKSEY

Birth date: July 27 1976
Hometown: Hamilton, ON (Canada)
Height: 5”4
Weight: competition: 125-130 lbs off season: 145 - 150lbs

Measurements
Biceps: 14” Chest: 37” Forearm 10 ¼”
Quads: 24” Waist: 29 - 30”
Calves: 14 ½” Hip: 34”

Maximum lifts:
Dumbbell Press: 75lbs 10 reps (2 sets) / Flat Bench Press : 180lbs 6 reps
Dead lift: 235lbs 10 reps (3 sets) / Leg Press : 535lbs 20 reps (2 sets)
Squats: 200lbs 10 reps / Dumbbell Rows : 70 lbs 10reps (2 sets)

Profession: Accounts Receivable Clerk / Bartender
** goals to becoming a personal trainer (owning my own studio)

Favourite movies/ music/TV shows:
Not really a movie or TV person…but I do enjoy comedy movies especially Mr. Bean!! As for TV Shows… Will & Grace and surprise, surprise a soap opera… (Young & the Restless). In the music category all kinds of Hip Hop and R & B seem to be my choice (LL Cool J, Sean Desmond, Missy Elliot & Craig David)

Athletic background: Played various sports since grade 2 including Basket Ball, Volley Ball, Track & field, Soccer, Rugby, Baseball & Wrestling. I have always kept active and been weight training for 13 years off and on, but have got serious since March 2003 in body building.

On your motivation as an athlete: My original motivation was simply to lose some body fat and tone up, however as time went on, and I became more serious, my motivation switched to fulfilling a dream of bodybuilding. This became more attainable after I saw a drastic change in my physique in the summer of 2003. I went from 24% body fat in March 2003 to 10% in August 2003 and all of my years of weight lifting finally became evident. From then on I have set my goals high to continue to sculpt & fine tune my physique.

The impact fitness/weightlifting has had on your life: There have been many changes in my life since I started bodybuilding, but probably the most important to me is the boost in self-confidence that I have received, as well as just being more positive over-all with myself and life in general. As I am also striving to keep improving myself I am also trying to help others around me recognize the many benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Your strongest/weakest muscle groups:
Strongest muscle group would be my legs, which seem to grow like weeds!! And the weakest I would say my abs, they are taking a while to develop….but I will get them!

On people’s reaction to your physique: This is probably my most enjoyed aspect of bodybuilding. Ever since the beginning, people have shown me nothing but encouragement and positivity, and as I continue to grow and fine tune.
**I bartend on the weekends at a pretty large nightclub so I tend to dress in more revealing clothes than I would normally wear. On the humorous side, the men are the funniest with their reactions. The usual remark…” Geez girl you have more muscle on those legs than I do on my whole body” or “holy… look at the arms on you…want to arm wrestle?” I assume it is pretty intimidating for them by their comments/reactions as they stand a little further back or ask to feel my bicep or quad…I must say that really helps the ego.

Future goals: Keep training hard and sculpt and refine my physique. Try and keep the competitive juices flowing and enter a few competitions to be my motivation to continue. I also have interest in exploring different avenues in the fitness industry, whether it is some type modelling or promotional venues… I will continue try to expose myself as much as I can to do what I can to fulfill all of my dreams.
**Maybe one day I will be the next addition to the WWE!!!!!